Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A41048
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A testimony and warning given forth in the love of truth and is for the governour, magistrates & people inhabiting on the island of Barbadoes, which is a call to turn to the Lord.
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Fell, Lydia.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing F625; ESTC R20225
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5,822
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8
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A Testimony and Warning Given forth in the love of Truth and is for the Governour Magistrates People inhabiting on the Island of Barbadoes which is a Call to turn to the Lord. O Ye Magistrates and Inhahitants of the Island of Barbadoes O consider how often the God of Heaven hath visited you sending his faithful Servants and Messengers amongst you to call to Repentance and Amendment of Life and to warn you that so you might have escaped the many Judgments which his Hand hath brought upon you divers times both by Fires often and Pestilence and Storms all which happened to your great Dammage in outward things also many have been taken away by sudden Death as ye well know to the Sorrow of some and amazement for the present though indeed very soon forgotten again as many have been Eye-Witnesses thereof For when the last great Fire was in Town I being in one House near adjoyning where were many of the chief Women of the Town who were there to escape the Danger and looking on the Fire and seeing it like to take hold on their Houses great Terror was then in their Hearts who then in the Time of Affliction remembred to call upon God where I heard some of them say Lord have Mercy and spare us this time and surely we will Repent and Amend our Lives whereas ye knew that ye did lye to God for ye still went on in the same Excess after and unto this day so out of your own Mouthes you will be condemned for you were then spared alive and many of your Houses did escape the Fire And now you are affraid of Wars for indeed the Sword it is already furbished for a Slaughter all Trees that bring not forth Fruit to God must be cut down by the Sword of his Mouth Neither can any truly say that God is unrighteous in his dealings towards the Sons of men because that his Visitations have been many to turn People from the Wayes which are not good that so he might have Mercy on all abundantly pardon those who through true Repentance and Amendment of Life do hearken unto his Reproofs of Instruction which is the Way of Life as saith the Scripture So now consider how his Messengers have been slighted among you and sent away empty and some ye Imprison'd who came from far to seek for Fruits amongst you Fruits of Mercy that so God might shew Mercy in the Day of Visitation which surely will come on all that dwell on the Earth Some also who have been long Inhabitants amongst you my self and another Woman we were moved to go to your House of Worship to call upon you to Repentance that so amongst God's faithful Ones ye might be made Partakers of like precious Mercies in this day of Lovingkindness which is known to those who are given up with the whole Mind and whole Heart to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes And indeed in the shedding abroad of God's Love in our Hearts it was in which I with the other Friend came among you but ye know ye made a Mock at it O therefore take heed that God who is just in all his Wayes and righteous in all his Judgments do not laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh yea whenas your Fear cometh like a Whirlwind that none can stop it then shall you call but he will not hear and cry but he will not answer And so though we did not break any Law for it was not charged against us at your Court yet were we committed to Prison and were haled along by the Bell-man of the Town who at first handled us roughly but we told him We should not resist him nor seek to go from him seeing he was commanded to carry us thus hath God's Servants been handled in your Island Likewise the Oppression of God's People who are Dwellers among you is very great because that for Conscience sake towards God they cannot send Horses nor go in Arms their Goods are taken from them almost to the Ruin of some Families outwardly So all these things and more the great God both of Heaven and Earth taketh notice of and surely if there be not a speedy course taken for to ease these heavy Burdens and Oppressions of his People who are indeed made a Prey upon for turning from Iniquity and Persecuted for living godly in Christ Jesus Yea surely even God the Lord who knoweth how to deliver his People who in all Ages did marvellously appear for those who trusted in him who is now riding on conquering and to conquer we know he is God who changeth not but is the same this day yesterday and forever with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning I say he will not turn away from any who turn unto him and put their whole trust in him for he hath said Mine Ear is not heavy that it cannot hear neither is mine Hand shortned that it cannot save nor will he in any wise cast off any who come unto him So now there are many that can draw near unto the Throne of his Grace and can come unto him as unto a faithful Creator who hath promised That the Rod of the Wicked shall not alwayes rest on the back of the Righteous lest they turn to Folly So I say that God will shew forth more and more of his Mercies unto thousands who love him and keep his Commands and his Indignation will be known upon thousands of them that hate him and keep not his Commands For if any say they love God and keep not his Commands such are Lyers and do not the Truth So these are his Commands Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy mind and with all thy strength and thy Neighbour as thy self so to fear God to keep his Commands is the whole Duty of man as say the Scriptures of Truth Now I say they who take away Goods from any would not be so done unto they who do imprison any when what is done is for the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God such would not be done so unto such as go about to Kill with the Sword or any carnal Weapon they would not that another should do so to them but Christ saith He which killeth with the Sword shall be killed with the Sword So all his Followers or Disciples must not take up any carnal Weapon for their Weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of the spiritual Wickedness they must take his Yoak which is easie and his Burden which is light they must take up the Cross daily which is the Power of God unto Salvation unto all that believe and obey the Truth they must walk in the Light as he is in the Light and so become Children of the Light and of the Day by putting off all the Works of Darkness and of the Night and these are Christ's Commands to all his little Flock for whom
he said that a Kingdom is prepared yea he said Walk in the Light while you have the Light and work while it is called to Day for the Night cometh wherein none can work yea the Night cometh I say upon the Children of the Night in whom the Prince of this World ruleth where the Wars are and Rumours of Wars within and without But blessed be God there are many Children of the Day who can truly say Greater is he that is in us then he that is in the World and Christ said to his Followers If ye were of the World the World would love his own but ye are not of the World even as I am not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore doth the World hate you but they hated me before they hated you and for this cause they hated me because I testified that the Works thereof are evil So now consider what is of the World Evil Thoughts Envy Malice the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life with other such like things and the Love of the World which is Enmity with God as saith the Scripture for where the Love of the World is the Love of the Father is not And so I say turn to the Light of Christ Jesus in your Consciences that with it you may see how it stands between God and your immortal Souls for that is it which stands all people most in stead that is to say how it shall be with us when we go hence and be no more even to our long home for our time here is but a moment in comparison of Eternity and all Souls are immortal either ever to live with God in Joy Happiness or else in eternal separation from him in perpetual Misery Torment in that Fire which can't be quenched as for instance you may read how that Dives when he was in Hell was not dead but living in that place of Torment where he saw Lazarus in Abraham's Bosome and how Abraham said Now remember how thou in thy Life-time had thy good things but Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou tormented and further he said There is a great Gulf between that those who would come from thence cannot come so his Day time was gone over his Head O therefore I warn you in God's Fear lay these things to heart before it be too late and your day of Visitation pass over your Heads and let not these things be to you as a Tale that is told but as I said turn to within to the Light of Christ and every one deal truly with your own Souls while you have a time and space given you for God will not be mocked such as every one sows such shall they reap they who sow to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but whoso soweth to the Spirit doth from the Spirit reap Life everlasting Now what can any sow to the Spirit I say Nothing but Obedience to its Requirings for so is Life reaped and Joy and Peace that none can take away blessed and praised be God forever doth my Soul say and as saith the Scripture so we say All have a Measure of the Spirit given to profit withal as to God-ward and by it all may know a profitting in the Knowledge of God whom to know is Life and some have more and some less as it is testified but he who hath least if he come to improve it he shall find it sufficient for Salvation for Reproof for Instruction and the Reproof of Instruction is the Way of Life and so herein it is that God's Grace hath appeared unto all in that all are enlightned with a measure of the true Light which as the Apostle said The Grace of God hath appeared to all men which teacheth us that denying all Worldly Lusts we might live soberly righteously and godlily in this present evil World so it hath appeared to all but all do not turn to it to be taught by it And Christ saith I am the Light of the World and John saith That was the true Light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the World So we say this is the Grace the Light which manifesteth all that is to be known of God for by it God hath shewn it unto us and by it God will shew it unto all who believe in it and no other way but by the measure of his Grace made known in the hearts of all Believers whereby a profitting is known and a growing from one degree of Grace to another degree of Grace for By Grace are we saved and that not of our selves it is the Gift of God as said the Apostle who was taught first to live soberly then righteously then godlily and to do unto all as we would have all do unto us for so it teaches and brings into Righteousness and true Holiness without which none can ever see God So all that do run this Raâ—e which is set before us faithful unto the end shall surely obtain the Crown of Life which God the Righteous Judge shall give at that day So the Way of Life and the Way of Death is set before every Man and every Woman so they who love the Light they bring all their deeds to the Light that thereby they may be tryed whether they are wrought in God who is Light with whom there is no Darkness at all for God will render unto all according as their Works are whether good or evil but they who hate the Light love their evil deeds and will not bring their deeds to be tryed lest by the Light they should be reproved for that which manifesteth is Light so while it shines in Darkness the Darkness cannot comprehend it but as it shineth out of the Darkness then shall all see how it is with them that is a measure of him who told the Woman of Samaria all that ever she had done who when she had met with him she ran and told them of the City and said Is not this the Christ so when we had found him by turning to the Light for that is his Name we cannot but tell you of him that you may wait to see his Day-star arise in your Hearts which gives the true Knowledg of God and of his Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ and his Name is called The Word of God So to the Word of Faith which is near all in the Heart and in the Mouth that all may obey and do it for Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to Hearken better then the Fat of Rams yea this Word is a swift Witness as it is given heed unto against every Evil Way and Evil Word and Evil Thought and as it is minded it saith This is the Way walk in it when thou turnest to the right hand or to the left and so as Christ said This is the Condemnation of the World that Light is come into the World but men love Darkness rather then Light because their deeds are evil so that which shews the Evil the same gives power against all Evil and purifies the Conscience from all dead works and makes alive to serve God in the newness of his own Spirit to whom be Praise and Glory even to God who is over all in Heaven and Earth blessed forever and ever Amen So this is a Testimony and also a Warning from one who hath obtained Mercy through Christ the Lord of Life and Glory that now ye may seek God that ye may find him to your Joy for he is not far from any one of you and this is the way to keep God's Judgments from a Place or Land even by keeping his Commands for it is said that a man's greatest Enemies are those of his own house And also consider if Iniquity doth not greatly abound in your Island and even the Sins of Aegypt Babylon and Sodom first Aegypt Hardness of Heart for as Pharaoh said having hardned his Heart against the Servant of the Lord Moses he said Who is the Lord that I should obey him and then the Sins of Babylon Whoredom and Confusion of Tongues as Cursing Swearing and not Plainness of speech one to another whereas Christ said Let your Communication be Yea Yea and Nay Nay for what is more cometh of evil and then the Sins of Sodom Pride Idleness and Fulness of Bread Now let that of God in all your Consciences answer if these things be not so which are herein testified and that by the Movings of God's Spirit in my Heart and indeed it is for no other end then to clear my Conscience in his Sight So if you would have God's Anger turned away and his Hand of Mercy stretched out towards you still and towards your Island it must be by turning to him who will then turn unto you and to lie low under his Mighty Hand for if God keepeth not the City or Place all the Watchmen watch but in vain So this is in true Love to your Souls from one who is known by the Name of LYDIA FELL THE END