Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	follow_v	life_n	way_n	4,821	5	5.7916	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56573	The testimony of that dear and faithful man, John Matern who had lived six years and faithfully served the Lord in his vocation in the family of C. T. now dwelling at Edmonton in Middlesex. Also, other blessed testimonies concerning him, and the truth itself; with something concerning his blessed condition in the time of his sickness, and when he was near his departure. With several testimonies of sensible children who had been under his tuition. Published that God may have his glory in preserving his faithful ones faithful to the end. A. P.	Matern, John, 1639 or 40-1680.; Paterson, A., Quaker.; Taylor, Christopher, ca. 1615-1686. aut	1680 (1680)	Wing P683; ESTC R217118	17,546	37

THE TESTIMONY Of that Dear and Faithful Man JOHN MATERN Who had Lived Six Years and Faithfully served the Lord in his Vocation in the Family of C. T. now Dwelling at Edmonton in Middlesex ALSO Other Blessed Testimonies concerning Him and the TRUTH it self With something concerning his Blessed Condition in the time of his Sickness and when He was near his Departure WITH Several Testimonies of Sensible Children who had been under His Tuition Published that God may have his Glory in Preserving his Faithful ones Faithful to the end A. P. LONDON Printed and are to be S●●d by Ben. Clark in George-Yard in Lumbard-street 1680. TO THE READER DEar Friends to whose Hands these following Testimonies may come here you may see the wonderful dealings of the Lord God whose faithfulness fails neither Young nor Old who Travail in their measures for the prosperity of his blessed Truth both in their own particulars and that the Increase thereof may be great in the Earth These Testimonies both of that faithful Servant of the Lord J. M. as also of others who are considerable members of this Family together with the sensible Childrens Testimonies concerning the aforesaid Man We thought good to Publish that the Goodness Mercy and Loving Kindness of our tender and Compassionate Father may be Proclaimed in the Ears of many that through the Travelling Birth in others who at any time may have the occasion to peruse them there may Praises ascend even on this account to the God of Heaven this I believe will be the Effect that they will have in the Hearts of all Zions Favourites And not only so but the Love of God constrains us to send them abroad as so many Messages and Invitations to others who may have been under the profession of Truth for some time and yet Strangers to the Life and efficacy thereof as to leaven their Hearts and Souls with it's Savoury and Soul refreshing vertue that they may be awakened and alarmed to bestir themselves to make their Calling and Election sure while it is called to Day as the afore-mentioned Deceased Person had done There are Subjoyned some Testimonies of the more serious and sensible Children concerning their Deceased Guardian which I know will be Servicable where they come especially amongst young ones and may also be of some use to some Teachers and Instructers of Children The unprejudiced and Impartial Reader may feel and savour the Power of Truth even in these Childrens Testimonies who are but young in Years neither can it be in any probable manner supposed that they could frame such things by their own acquired Abilities but must with me confess that it is the Lords work and who can stop it or who can shut when the Lord opens and how can we sit silent and not invite others to come and share with us of that Heavenly Food the Father is pleased to hand forth unto us and that in a plentiful manner for which I render and return the Praise the Honour and the Renown of all unto Him who is Worthy God Blessed for ever Amen A. PATERSON THE TESTIMONY OF Iohn Matern c. I Cannot but Praise and Magnifie the Lord our God who in the abundance of his Love and tender Mercies hath oftentimes even to this very day Graciously Powerfully visited my Soul with the Day-spring from on high and hath livingly Refreshed my Soul with many others in our Family who in Sincerity of Heart and Mind in his Fear and Dread have quietly and patiently waited for his Loving Glorious and Powerful appearance more than they that watch for the Morning O how hath he often broken in upon our Hearts with his Holy Heavenly Almighty Power and hath tendered our Spirits before him that in the sence of his overcoming and quickning Power I have been constrained to Speak forth his Praises even admiring his goodness and mercies unto my Soul who when I was a Stranger to his Heavenly Truth going astray like a lost Sheep without a Shepherd not knowing the way to his Blessed Fold and to the Pastures of Life where he makes his flock to rest at noon watering and refreshing them with the Water of Life he was pleased in his everlasting mercy and endless goodness to follow me as the good Shepherd seeking that which was lost and not giving over till he found me wandiring from Mountain to Hill and from Hill to Mountain dry barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I say the Lord in his everlasting Love and tender Bowels of compassion followed me and found me revealing himself unto me in my lost and undone State and Condition not knowing whither to go or where to rest till he opened and enlightned the Eyes of my mind in and through his Heavenly Light which he commanded to shine out of darkness by which I came to see and to know my self and him who I had often pierced with my Sins and Iniquities unto which the enemy of my Soul did lead me Captive at his will till the good Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul did unstop my Ear that I could hear his voice and knocking 's at the door of my Heart Yea in and through his Heavenly Almighty Power begot in me a willingness to forsake the Evil of my wayes and to deny my former Teachers and Leaders that caused me to Err from his Holy Heavenly word of Truth which was and i● nigh in the Heart and in the Mouth and directed me to outward things seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness which was to be revealed within not in outward observances and Ceremonyes one crying loe here the other loe there leading away from the Principle of Life and Truth in the inward parts by which my Soul should have been quickened and made alive unto God Thence it came to pass that even in the strictest observation of such things as I was directed unto having a ●e●l for God but not according to the knowledge of God that I my self also directed others to the sa●● when according to the wisdom of Man and acquired natural Learning in Colladges where I was bred up I had got Learning intending to be a Priest a guide for the Blind a Light to them which are in Darkness an Instructer of the Foolish a Teacher of Babes as having got the form of the literal knowledge but destitute of the Power Life and Spirit without which I my self was Blind and Foolish Dead in Sins and Trespasses till it pleased the Lord to reveal his Son in me in his holy pure and Heavenly Light by which I came to see out of Obscurity and Darkness which was in my Heart and the vail of Iniquity which was over my Mind came to be rent by his Almighty Power that so I came to behold him whom my Soul loved not afar off but nigh in me in and through his Holy Heavenly Quickning Spirit by which my Soul was quickened and turned from Darkness to Light

and from Satan's Power to his pure and Holy Power Grace and Truth in my inward parts in and through which he taught and enabled me to deny Ungodlyness and worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Glory and Honour be to his Name for evermore Now as the Lord God in his Love and Mercy hath reached unto my Soul and redeemed me out of the Hands of my Enemies through the power of his strength he also made me willing to deny my self every way and respect as to out ward Honour and Preferment which I could have enjoyed if I would have conformed my self to their way and Worship and vain customs and manners in life and conversation but the fears and dread of the Lord being upon my Heart I could no longer conform my self unto them but I freely gave over my School-office and imployment in Teaching Children trusting in the Lord he would not leave me and forsake me if I did faithfully follow him in the Regeneration which Work I felt begun upon my Soul in and through his Holy Heavenly Spirit of Grace and Truth manifested within me because of which I counted all my former knowledge and Honour as Dung and Dross for the excellency of the Truth and knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whose power I felt Operating in me to destroy the Works of the Devil to serve him in Holiness and Righteousness according to the measure of Grace which he had given me and enabled me withal And seeing my self with some others were like a Pelicane in the Wilderness and as a Sparrow alone upon the House top sojourning in Mesech and dwelling in the Tents of Kedar amongst a Crooked and Perverse Generation covered with Grose Darkness hating the peaceable way of the Lord which according to that ability and knowledge I had then in the Lord I made known to them the Lord raised a desire in my Father-in-law who was a Priest to go out from amongst them and to go to the People of the Lord which he had Raised Gathered and Chosen for himself in England to enjoy his Holy Living Powerful presence in their Meetings and to partake of the quickning and refreshing vertue of the Life and Love of the Lord in his Light where the Saints Communion stands And as soon as he made it known to us his Wife and Children we found the same willingness and freedom also in us to go out from our Fathers House and Kindred not consulting with Flesh and Bloud what would become of us But being freely resigned and given up into the will of the Lord to dispose of us as he pleased we chose rather to suffer afflictions with the People of God and to undergo all Tryals and Exercises which the Lord might suffer to come upon Them and Us then to enjoy the pleasures of Sin and Vanities of this World for a Season And after we had made known our Desire and Intent to some of our Dearest Friends which several times did Write to us on the behalf of Truth and we understood that they were willing to receive us in the Love of the Lord we left all for the love of Truth and went away to save our selves from that Perverse Generation in all our Journey the Lord was with us and brought us safe and well with Joy and Gladness of our Souls to his Beloved People here in England where I now have been these six years employed according to the Lord's good will and providence amongst tender Children to instruct them in Languages and other necessary Sciences appertaining to this outward Life What troubles and exercises within and without I have met withal I willingly pass by as being light and momentary in comparison of that inward comfort blessing of my Soul which I have received of the Lord. For he in his endless Love and Mercy hath in a very great measure satisfied the Travail of my Soul and answered the earnest desires and breathing of my Spirit for the Children of our Family that he in his goodness would be pleased to appear unto their Souls and to manifest himself in his Holy Everlasting Power by which they might feel their Hearts melted tendered and broken before him the Almighty God their Creatour to Fear and Dread him in their Youth that at length that rough and perverse disobedient and stubborn Spirit which reigned in some of them to the grief and sorrow of our Hearts might be wrought out and a meek low and humble Spirit might be created in them through the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ which we also in the Lord's time have seen brought to pass in and through the Almighty Heavenly Blessed appearance and powerful opeperation of his Heavenly Spirit in our Family-meetings whereof we have formerly born our Testimony and do bear the same at this present time that the Power of the Lord is still self and experienced in and amongst us in our Meetings O the Glory of that first great and notable day of the Blessed Glorious and powerful appearance of the Lord God in and amongst the little ones of our Family The Remembrance whereof makes glad my heart and rejoyces my Spirit blessed be the Name of the Lord forevermore we cannot be still but are constrained in his Love which he hath shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us but speak well of his Name because of the Saviour of his Life which we still seel in the midst of us For the Lord hath not been with us as a Stranger that stays but for a night but we can say it of a truth that he hath hitherto made his abode with us the blessed effect upon the Hearts and Spirits of many Witnesses confirmed it For instead of the thorn comes up the Fir-tree and instead of the Pryer comes up the Mir-tree in as many as have Subjected their Souls unto the power of God bearing Fruits of Sobriety Righteousness Meekness and Godliness in and through the Blessed Operation of his Holy Spirit which he hath blessedly poured forth and is pouring forth upon them to the Glory and Honour of his name and for an Everlasting Sign that shall not be cut off Now the Lord hath been and is gracious unto our Souls and in his Grace and Love he daily renews his goodness unto us manifesting himself in his Love Life and Power when we meet together in his Holy Heavenly Fear O how doth he shed abroad his Love in our Hearts O how doth he receive our Spirits that many times we are even Ravished with his Love and so filled with his Power that our Cups are made to overflow with Praises and Thanksgivings unto the Lord. The desire of my Soul is that I and every one of us that have tasted of the good Word and Power of the World to come by which we witness our Hearts and Minds in some measure changed into the Holy and Righteous Image of the Son of God