Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	holy_a	lord_n	spirit_n	8,095	5	5.0560	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00686	A briefe conference betwixt mans frailtie and faith wherein is declared the true vse, and comfort of those blessings pronounced by Christ in the fifth of Matthew, that euery Christian man and woman ought to make and take hold of in their seuerall tentations and conflicts: laide downe in this plaine order of dialogue, to helpe, if it please God, the conceit and feeling of the simplest. By Geruase Babington.	Babington, Gervase, 1550-1610.	1584 (1584)	STC 1082; ESTC S108359	56,099	166

written to confirme our heartes in an vnfained loathing of it séeme it neuer such wisedome in a wicked worlde and bring it neuer such gaine to the vsers of it Now on the contrarie side consider againe what a lasting praise is giuen to the contrarie namely to sincere faithfull true and plaine honest dealing with all men So shall it still appeare vnto you cléerer that detestable in the eies of god is a glosing tōgue with an holow halting and dissembling heart What man is he saith y e prophet Dauid that listeth to liue and would faine see good daies let him keep his tongue frō euil and his lips that they speake no guile As if he should say halters will be halted withall one waie or other let them doe what they can and so euill a nature shall finde either with God or man or with both at last a deserued recompence and therefore be simple Againe in an other place Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile And againe Lorde who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest vpon thy holie hill Euen the man saith the Lorde that amongest other vertues hath this by name to speake the trueth when hée speaketh from his heart And what a spéech is that of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians Our reioicing is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godlie purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome we haue had our conuersatiō in the worlde His conscience bore him witnes of plaine dealing euer it ioyed him Ours crie within vs our dissembling is monstrous shall it neuer thinke we bring sorrowe to vs Reade at your leasure the first of Syrach from the 33. verse to the ende Neuer forget also the commendation that Christ giueth to Nathaniel But what should I heape vp anie moe testimonies May I not still referre you to the fifth of Matthewe and you there sée euen this tēptation also as one that should assault the godlie prouided for in these wordes Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Consider then of it well Frailtie and be assured where there is a blessing set vpon the head of the vertue there is also a curse set vppon the heade of the vice euer If they bee blessed of the Lorde that reserue in themselues notwithstanding all temptations to the contrarie an honest faithfull simple true dealing and meaning heart towarde all men and in whose spirites there is no guile then as you liue you may assure your soule the contrarie are cursed before the face of him that is truth it selfe and neuer any thing but trueth And whatsoeuer they gaine and get in the worlde they gaine and get the Diuell and all with it vnlesse the Lorde turne their heartes But let this suffice a while touching God and his worde howe they doe allowe this vice whereunto you féele your selfe so greatly tempted And a little also weigh his childrens iudgement of it the auncient graue and godlie fathers of his Church S. Chrysostome writing vpon the 7. of Matthewe and considering this slie nature of men and women so faithfull in shewe and so faithlesse in proofe breaketh out into this detestation of it Fie fie saith he what a course is this If it be a shame to seeme to be false and nought is it not more shame to be so in deede Therefore either be as thou seemest or seeme as thou art euer Where you plainely sée the true loathing that this godlie father lodged of this vice in his heart S. Austine speaking vppon the wordes of Christ to Nathaniel concludeth this glorious glosse that manie make and this déepe dissembling that manie vse to be a speciall of the generall heade fraude and deceite the verie naming whereof wee all abhorre And vppon these wordes againe of the Psalme Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile Then saith he is it treacherous Fraud Cum aliud in pectore clausum habetur aliud promittitur aut verbo aut actione When one thing is hidden in heart and an other thing promised either by worde or action Nowe of the contrarie vertue openlie and expresselie hee affirmeth that the simple God heartily loueth and an other sheweth who they be euen they whose dealings are without pleites and fouldes wrinckles euerie way Againe that simplicitie and plaine open honestie that is contrarie to fraude and subtiltie euer is commended saieth Lactantius And simplicitie is euer ioyned with true wisedom saith Tertullian No vertue so necessarie betwixt man and man as humble simplicitie and modest grauitie saieth an other And to conclude if wee regarde the sentences and iudgementes of anie but our selues certainely mee thinke it should neuer bee forgotten what S. Hierome so heartily speaketh Haue euer such a regarde of trueth in all thy doings as if once thou hast spoken it all one thou takest thy selfe pressed with it as if thou hadst sworne it a thousande times Thus sée you secondlie then the iudgement of true Christian teachers touching the vice you are so stronglie tempted to staine your selfe withall Thirdlie nowe viewe the opinion of the heathen concerning the same and if nature taught them verie heartilie euen to abhorre it what will bee the ende Frailtie can you suppose either of your selfe or any other in whom neither nature nor the renued light strength thereof the blessed word of God can kéepe vpright in y e Christian course of plaine true faithfull honest meaning speaking thinking and dealing with all men What is horrible deceite and fraude saith one of them a famous Councellour but when one thing is doone and an other presented in outwarde shewe Therefore like of the one and like of the other hate the former and abhorre the latter thought this man sée you plainely in this place And in an other place he hath this reason against it Suspition saith he of others was neuer good but the more any man or woman vse dissembling and halting themselues the more euer they will stande in a suspicious feare of others that they likewise vse it therefore neuer was it nor euer shalbe any commendable course in any Againe how soundeth it still vnto all posterities the discredite and shame of those cauilling glosing Thracians who hauing taken truce for 30. dayes spoyled their enemies in the night with this shameful shift that they named no truce to be kept on the night but onely on the day And howe liueth still and will doe long on the contrarie side the praise of M. Regulus amongest these heathens because he rather chose to die a cruell death than once to breake the faith he had truely plighted and any way by fraude subtiltie and dissembling treacherie to take the course that others did But I staie my selfe and assure you of this that in al crations and spéeches in all pleas and actions for and against any man amongst them honest plainenesse was euer an

woman in the world euen in the midst of al their worldly wantes be they neuer so great Yet hath it annexed for our further ioie the consent of other places manie and experiences of the same in knowne examples not a fewe As If thou lend to my people that is to the poore I wil blesse the saieth the Lorde The Lorde deliuereth the poore in al his afflictions The Lord wil be a defence vnto the poore euen a refuge in due time of trouble He remembreth and forgetteth not the complaint of the poore when he maketh inquisitiō for bloud The poore shall not alwaies be forgotten neither the hope of the afflicted perish for euer Lorde thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their heart and thine care hearkeneth thereunto He hath not despised the lowe estate of y e poore but they shal eate and be satisfied I am poore and in miserie but the Lorde careth for mee Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse than he that peruerteth his waies though hee be rich That which is to be desired in a man is his goodnes and better is such a poore man than a lier God regardeth the poore and is their strength And vnto whom againe saieth the Lorde shall I looke and haue regarde but vnto him that is poore and of a contrite spirite and trembleth at my wordes The spirite of the Lorde is vppon mee and hath annointed mee to preach the gospell to the poore And the poore do receiue the glad tidings of the Gospell Call the halt and lame poore to the Supper And hath not God chosen the poore of this world saith Iames c. with a number such like testimonies The comfort whereof if they be rightly considered and the blessing of them vnto our heart by humble praier begged at the Lordes hands no tongue of man is able to expresse For the Lord our God is not a man that hée should repent nor as the son of man that he should change but if hée loued the poore when these things were spoken he loueth them still and to the end he will loue them and if he regarded them he forgetteth not vs and euen amongst our selues if he sée you he beholdeth also me and if he comfort mée hée will doe no lesse for you for there is no respect of persons in his eies Yet adde vnto these the experience of examples and they wil be more swéete Naomi and her daughter Ruth how did the Lorde regarde blesse comfort and prouide for The poore widow of Sareptha whose meale and oile were at an ende and yet the dearth foretolde much to come howe regarded he and fedde during all y e time The other pore widow also helped by Elisha to pay her debts and to liue afterward with comfort of the rest how sheweth it the care of the Lord ouer the poore that are godlie and howe mightily shoulde it encrease our faith What an example is old Tobiah and his familie and what a spéech of faith was that to his sonne Feare not my Sonne because we are made poore for thou hast manie things if thou feare GOD and flie from sinne and do that thing which is acceptable vnto hym Howe loued the Lord the offering of the poore widowe that cast in but two mites How chose he Disciples and folowers of his trueth euer of the poorer sort Howe chose he his parents of the very meanest certainly of a multitude and howe himselfe hath he honored the estate of godlie pouerty for our eternal comfort hauing not so much in this world as the Foxes and Birdes borne in a stable wrapped in ragges laide in the manger and yet the God and Lord of heauen and earth and the disposer of all the glorie in them both O my heart and hand howe is the one too narrowe to conceiue this heauenly swéet and the other vnable to laie downe but euen that little that I doe féele Shall anie worldlie want make vs thinke God loueth vs lesse when wée sée the most loued that euer was in the greatest want shall anie discountenaunce dissauour discredite causelesse shall any snubbes checkes taunts scorne contempt rumours or the very power of y e spite of hel driue vs out of hope in our gratious father when we sée examples in his dearest of them all O Frailtie Frailtie open thine eies looke vpon thy God weigh his nature marke his dealings with his dearest heare his promises make him no liar but gather strength increase in hope and the Lord in mercie graunt it to vs euer Lette the changes and chances of this worlde be what they will or rather what it pleaseth God let our orderly walking in our places with true paines heart and meaning with due carefulnesse with no vnthriftinesse vp early downe late and whatsoeuer meanes that good are to liue and laie vp by for our selues and ours yet want their ende of such reasonable store as we desire let vs neuerthelesse trust in our God and hang vpon his hand and neuer measure his fauour towardes vs by these things for they are no iudges of it being as we sée oft graunted to the wicked and restrained greatly from the most beloued Onelie let our pouertie make poore our spirites and breake the secrete pride of our hearts and then feare not we haue a warrant of truth Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen And a broken and contrite hart O God thou shalt neuer despise The contrarie now might as greatly be amplified to our comforte if I thought it néedefull For as his mercifull promises are manie and swéete as we haue heard to the poore so are his fearefull threatnings to the rich not a fewe and as great is the good that is wrought in the childe of God by this crosse of want so feareful are the faults that are giuen vnto the soules of many by their store of wealth Let it suffice to marke what this same our Sauiour saith by the mouth of Luke and opposeth ouer against the promise spoken of nowe alreadie Woe be to you that are rich for you haue receiued your consolation saith he and after him his apostle Iames again Go to now ye rich men weepe and houle for your miseries which shall come vpon you your riches are corrupt and your garments motheaten your golde and siluer is cankred the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shal eate your flesh as if it were fire c. And Paul againe Gaine is not godlinesse but godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that we can carie nothing out Therefore when wee haue foode and rayment let vs be therewith content for they that will be rich fall into temptation and snares and into many foolish and noysome lustes which drowne men in