Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	read_v	time_n	3,650	5	3.4648	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B06566	The experiences of God's gracious dealing with Mrs. Elizabeth White, late wife of Mr. Thomas White of Coldecot in the county of Bucks. / As they were written under her own hand, and found in her closet after her decease, she dying in child-bed, Decemb. 5. 1669.	White, Elizabeth, d. 1669.	1698 (1698)	Wing W1763; ESTC R186485	11,805	24

THE EXPERIENCES OF God's Gracious Dealing WITH Mrs. Elizabeth White Late Wife of Mr. Thomas White of Coldecot in the County of Bucks As they were written under her own hand and found in her Closet after her decease she dying in Child-bed Decemb. 5. 1669. PSAL. 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul GLASGOW Printed by Robert Sanders One of His Majesties Printers Anno Dom. 1698. The Experiences of Gods Gracious dealing with Mrs. Elizabeth White FRom my Child-hood the Lord hath inclined my heart to seek after the best things and my Fathers chiefest care was to bring me up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord my nature being somewhat more mild than the rest of my Sisters I was ready to think my self some body and with the proud Pharisee to thank God that I was not as others not considering that I was but like a Wolf chained up which keeps its nature still as I by the goodness of God have seen since the Lord was pleased to lay his eye-salve upon me I was a great lover of Histories and other foolish Books and did often spend my sleeping-sleeping-time in reading of them and sometimes I should think I did not do well in so doing but I was so bewitched by them that I could not forbear hearing of a friend of mine which was esteemed a very holy woman that did delight in Histories I then concluded it was no sin and gave my self wholly then to this kind of folly when I had any spare time for two or three years I had sometimes slight thoughts of Repentance but was loth to set about it and so I should put the Lord off from time to time with delays thinking still I should find a fitter time then the present I remember about a month before I was married my Father would have me receive the Sacrament of th● Lords Supper and I was very willing to it until I considered what was requsite to be in those which did partake thereof and then I began to doubt that I had not those things whic● were requisite wrought in me as Knowledge Faith Love Repentance c. and then this Scripture came into my mind He that doubteth is damned if he eat for whatsoever is not of faith is sin when I had considered those things I was filled with sorrow and could not tell what to do I was loth to disobey my Father and more loth to eat and drink my own damnation in this perplexity I set my self to seek the Lord for his grace being at that time somewhat sensible of the want of it when I had thus done I began to be comforted verily thinking that now I had repented and could believe in Christ Iesus and having some notional knowledge of things I was indiffe●ently well satisfied thinking that when I wa● married I should have more leisure to serv● God and then going to the Minister of th● Par●sh to be examined before I was admitted and finding my self able to answer him ● thought all was well with me then and so unworthy I went to the Lords Table not quest●oning but that I was in as good a condition a● any of the rest which did receive But blesse● for ever be the Lord which broke my false confidence and swept away my refuge of Lyes which I then trusted in and shewed me my sad condition I was in by nature and practise more clearly than ever before and this was about a quarter of a year after I was married in the year 1657. the Minister being upon this subject Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my reproof c. being upon the use of trial whether indeed we had turned to God or no he bid us examine our selves by some marks which he then gave and it was at this time that God did begin to manifest his love to me as I trust in my effectual vocation here the Lord was pleased to open my heart as he did the heart of Lydia so that I attended to the things that were spoken so that I perceived my heart was not right in the sight of God and that my hope was but like that of the Hypocrite which perisheth when I came home I besought the Lord to turn me if I were not yet turned to him but yet I had not that thorow sense of sin as I had afterwards About three weeks after the Minister coming to our house my Husband and I was speaking that we would desire him to pray with us in our Chamber but that time he could not stay the next day he came and asked for me telling me that my Husband told him that I would speak with him O how was I surprized I could not tell what to say upon the sudden I was so hurried in my thoughts O how loth was I to acquaint him with my sad state ● I was ashamed to tell him that I was yet a stranger to God and all goodness till it was forced from me which when he heard he did not go about to comfort me but he asked me if ever I was convicted before and I told him yes and he repeated the first vers of the 29. Chap. of the Proverbs He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shal suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy when I heard this I was wonderfully troubled then there came many sins to my remembrance which I had taken no notice of before counting them small sins now the time which was spent in reading Histories I remembred with bitter grief and I thought that there was no mercy for me but he perswaded me there was hope of mercy for such as I and that the Lord waited to be gracious to poore sinners and then I was a little satisfied for the present but then I was troubled with blasphemous thoughts which were very grievous to me I thought I had a heart worse than the Devil and wondered that I was not consumed in some strange manner when I have seen a Spider which of all things is most loathsome to me I have been ready to wish my self such a one esteeming of it to be in a far happier condition than I was I was afraid to be in the dark lest I should met the devil I doubted whether I was elected I had read that I was not of him that willeth nor him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Then I thought if I were not elected it was to no purpose to strive for what God hath decreed must be but yet I was unwilling to perish I could not be so satisfied although I had but little hope to obtain mercy yet I could not but ask it I was also very frequent in hearing the Word preached and read not daring to let slip an opportunity but not without many tears lest it should increase my condemnation in this condition I remained a great while but not without some secret supports from the Lord sometimes by a word cast in upon