Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	darkness_n	light_n	walk_v	4,073	5	8.1342	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08277	The imitation of Dauid his godly and constant resolution in bearing all his trialls, troubles and afflictions being a king whose example of faith, patience, hope, obedience and deliueries, thankfulnesse and prayer, is left euen for princes, potentates, and all true Christians to imitate. Collected by way of meditations and prayers out of the 27. Psalme. By I.N.	Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1624 (1624)	STC 18610; ESTC S113324	90,720	456

if pouerty or want oppresse thée as it did sometimes Dauid feare not he will reléeue thée for hée preserueth with little as with much hée fed many thousands with little meanes and when they were all well filled there was taken vp in the remainder more then was before they had eaten He increased the Oile and Meale of the poore Widow that she fed her selfe and hers and paid her debts with the remainder Hee brought water out of the stones and out of the dry Jaw-bone of an Asse Hée fed his children with Bread from Heauen and sent them Quailes in the hungry Wildernesse He sent abundance of wheat extraordinarily vnto distressed Samaria This is he euen that great God that is the sustainer of my life my light and my saluation and not mine alone but the God of all that faithfully séek him in their distresse Should I then feare though I be enuironed with enemies though I were in distresse nay should I feare though I were in penury and want though I were imprisoned for the constant profession of Christs truth did he not breake the fetters and opened he not the very iron gates and cast the watchmen in a slumber to fetch Peter out of prison did he not giue Ioseph and Paul fauour with their Jailors of whom or of what then may the faithfull bee afraid what crosses what troubles what afflictions what threats of tyrants can make Gods children afraid though the seas rage and rose though the world be in confused combustion though the mountains cleaue in sunder though the heauens melt though he that made all consume all I will not feare The Lord high mighty he is the strength of my life nay he is to mee life it selfe who then or what can without him force my death If he take away this life he hath prouided for me a better and permanent whom or what shall I be afraid of then Shall I be afraid of Hell or Satan Hée my Lord in Christ my light and my saluation hath conquered both Satan and Hell what néed I feare A Prayer that God will be our light and our saluation in all our troubles and dangers O Lord who art the light that neuer goeth out whereby thou guidest and gouernest those that acknowledge their owne darknesse thou art the strength that neuer groweth weake whereby thou sauest defendest thine from the hands of all that hate them Bee thou my light O Lord and lighten my darknesse that I may walke in that light and neuer goe astray for there is no agreement betweene error and thy truth giue mee therefore heauenly knowledge and I shall not be ignorant of that which I ought to know and assist me with thy diuine grace and I shall practise that which thou hast taught me to know Be thou my strength then whom need I to feare stand thou on my side and then of whom should I be afraid Stretch forth thy hand and hold me vp thou hast a mighty arme and strong is thy right hand in thee therefore I trust and will not feare what man can doe vnto me Be not farre from mee O my God for thou seest my troubles and knowest my dangers neglect me not but hasten to helpe me giue care vnto me and saue me and let not mine enemies haue their desires against mee nor triumph ouer me though they be many and in shew far too mighty for me yet in comparison of thy strength they are weake and of no strength they trust in their Chariots munition and multitudes but I trust in thee and in thy strength alone only praying thee to blesse vnto me the ordinary and lawfull meanes which it shall please thee to raise vp in thy wisdome for my defence Though I doe know and doe acknowledge that as a horse of it selfe is a vaine helpe to deliuer his rider by his great strength or swiftnesse so are all outward visible and carnall meanes vnable to defend mee without thee and vnlesse thou blesse the vse of them and dispose and manage them in thy wisdome for my defence they are also vaine Therefore come I vnto thee my God my strength my light and my saluation who hast promised and art able to send euen from Heauen to saue me Thou canst command an host of Angels to campe about mee though enuironed with many and mighty aduersaries yet hauing thee on my side I know there shall be more with mee than with them while I am vnder thy protecting wings I am safe I will not feare Giue thine Angels charge of me therefore O Lord to keepe defend me shew thy power in my weaknesse and the weaknes of mine enemies by thy strength then though an host pitch against me my heart shall not bee afraid though war be raised against me I will trust in thee my Lord my light my strength and my saluation VERSE 2. and 3. 2. When the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon mee to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell 3. If an host pitched against me my heart should not be afraid though warre be raised against me I will trust in thee IN all actions Experience is as the mother of knowledge and knowledge the ground of Assurance which made Dauid strong in his resolution to encounter Goliah hauing formerly found that God assisted him in two seuerall dangers the one in killing a Beare the other in ouercomming a Lion two strong fierce and deuouring beasts and that when he was but young and a Shepherd yet it seemeth he had learned to feare God and to trust in him for that he acknowledged that he ouercame them not by his owne proper power but by the power of God which two conquests wrought in him-assurance that by the same aid hee should vanquish that monster of men Goliah though his vgly presence and furniture of armes amazed the whole host of Israel Dauid yet not daunted hauing a strong faith in God vndertooke the combat and preuailed though that monster scorned him and threatning that hee would giue his flesh to be deuoured of the Fowles of the aire and wilde beasts of the field which by the aid of him in whom Dauid trusted came contrarily to passe for Dauid tooke off his head and disarmed him and left his carkasse to the Fowles of the aire whereby he more and more increased in faith strength and courage and bold to assure himselfe that as this monster stumbled and fell at his flying stone that would haue eaten vp his flesh so should all his wicked enemies and foes when they should come vpon him to eat vp his flesh namely to take away his life they should euen so stumble and fall as by experience he after found that God still defended him so that to the praise of God hee sung When the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell When Saul a mighty King sought Dauids life to destroy it first by his owne hand

colour and therefore as long as none but wicked men scandalize vs and condemne vs we néed not be ashamed no though they raile reuile and curse vs wee néed not feare it for in stead of their curses God will blesse vs yet let vs pray Teach me O Lord thy way and leade me in thy path aright because of mine enemies None but enuious and wicked men are malicous enemies vnto such as feare God and they indéed cannot sléepe vntill they haue contriued some mischiefe against the innocent whom they would disgrace taking all occasions and aduantages to worke them any violence though they be already afflicted they will afflict them more if they bee already fallen they will euen tread vpon them to kéepe them downe that they may not rise It is their glory if they can adde more sorrow to the sorrowfull and more griefe to the grieued they are continually trauelling with wickednes conceiuing mischiefe but they commonly bring forth a lie for the mischiefe y t they intend to others fals in the end vpon their owne heads and their cruelty vpon their owne pates they are snared euen with the works of their owne hands for God hath euer he doth and euer will preserue his owne from these wicked men though he suffer them somtimes bodily to perish vnder their tyranny it is but to aggrauate the sins of their persecutors and the sooner to bring his vnto their finall glory Therefore behoueth the most godly to bée wary of their waies for how much the more godly religious and zealous they are in walking with God so much the more malicious is Satan to raise vp troubles slanders and reproaches against them by such as he can stir vp against vs who howsoeuer inwardly enuious they are yet haue they learned of their master to speake plausibly though deceitfully flattering with their lips hauing a venomous heart within whereby they oftentimes allure the innocent without suspicion to bewray vnto them their secret thoughts and intentions and in simplicity by their inchanted subtilties discouer that which these wicked serpentine wretches worke vpon and wrest to bring not only their names reputation and credit but their estates and liues in question By their wicked counsell they compasse our steps they set their enuious eyes vpon our waies If they finde wée walke vnblameable they wil plot to haue some blockes to be laid in our waies that if it be possible we might stumble though they could not make vs fall altogether If we erre on the other side neuer so little they will insult ouer vs they will blow the trumpet of our defamation and cry There there so would we haut it But these deuices of theirs God séeth and what they practise against such as feare him therfore let vs only say Teach vs O Lord thy way and leade vs in the right path because of our enemies As long as wee walke in the way of God truly and be lead that path that is right let vs not feare Heare what Dauid said vnto Salomon his sonne whom he exhorted to walke in the waies of the Lord to keepe his Statutes and his Commandementes his Iudgements and his Testimonies We must endeuour to haue Gods lawes euer before our eies and neuer depart from his precepts This is the way walke in it Though it bee a strict way and vnpleasant to a carnall minde it is a most swéet and comfortable way a way that leadeth here to happinesse and after to Heauen There is another way a common high way much beaten by diuers passengers all carnall men traffike this way a very pleasant way wherein yet many haue walked for a time but they haue found that as a man that eateth too much hony may surfet through the swéetnesse of it so they were euen glutted with the vanities that are strewed in the way It is a way full of carnall content indeed but it is but short men are at their waies end many times when they think themselues not halfe way there and are grieued their iourney is so soone done But when they come to the end of the race they suddenly finde a most fearefull gulph which they cannot auoid turne backe againe they cannot as ordinary trauellers often doe when they haue mistaken their way and take another but they that walke this high and pleasant way must bée enforced to stay and to take vp their hideous Inne not for a night as waifaring men doe but remaine there for euer with the Deuill and his Angels A Prayer that God will be pleased to direct vs in his waies and leade vs vprightly because of our enemies O Gracious Lord God most mercifull and louing father in Iesus Christ vouchsafe to looke in mercy vpon me teach mee thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of mine enemies Giue mee grace that I may walke aright and pray aright and beleeue aright and in all mine actiōs be guided by thee aright Reframe me from the way of the wicked and guide me in the paths of righteousnesse make thy way plaine before my face for of my selfe I am blinde I cannot see the right way direct and guide me that I stumble not to cause mine enemies to laugh and reioyce at my fall Send out thy light and thy truth let them leade me and bring mee to thine holy mountaine where I shall be safe from mine enemies order and direct my goings O Lord aright according to thy word reclaime me from euery euill way and direct my feet in the way of truth in that way that leadeth to life preuent mee of that forbidden way which is pleasant yet perillous seeming plaine and delectable but the end thereof is death Lord let my walkings bee vpright because of mine enemies who watch euen the course of my life they pry into all mine actions they obserue my conuersation and if they see mee but slide or slip neuer so little awry they sound the trumpets of my disgrace If they see mee to fall into any sinne through my frailty they cry out and say That there is no feare of thee before mine eies O my God consider this and in mercy remember I am but dust by nature subiect to great infirmities which I doe acknowledge O Lord reclaime mee from my euill inclination by thy grace set me in the way of truth and obedience and leade me therein for euer and learne mee to liue after thy Commandements and yeeld mee thy feare and thy direction that I may walk in them for mine owne waies are as my will is by nature euill euermore but thy waies are mercy and truth and such as truly feare thy name thou teachest the waies of perfect obedience and reducest euen sinners to walke aright reclaiming them by thy grace from their euill waies Guide me that I may know thee and thy waies and leade me aright in them let me neuer goe astray from them lest mine enemies take occasion by my transgressions to say that I haue