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	scripture_n	speak_v	4,818	5	4.7778	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01647	A relation of the fearefull estate of Francis Spira in the yeare, 1548.	Bacon, Nathaniel, 1593-1660.	1638 (1638)	STC 1178.5; ESTC S118976	22,974	142

Lord to love thy commandements hypocrites say that they love God with all their heart but they lye for my part I will not lye but tell you plainely such is my case that though you should never so much much importune mee to hope or beleeve though I desire it yet I cannot for God as a punishment of my wickednesse hath taken away from me all his saving graces faith hope and all I am not the man therefore that you take mee for belike you thinke I delight in this estate if I could conceive but the least sparke of hope of a better estate hereafter I would not refuse to endure the most heavie weight of the wrath of that great God yea for twenty thousand years so that I might at length attaine to the end of that misery which I now know will bee eternall but I tell you my will is wounded who longs more to beleeve then I doe but all the ground-worke of my hope is quite gone for if the testimonies of holy Scripture bee true as they are most certainly true is not this as true whosoever denies mee before men him saith Christ will I denie before my Father which is in heaven is not this properly my case as if it had purposely beene intended against this very person of mine I pray you what shall become of such as Christ denieth seeing there is no other Name under heaven whereby you looke to bee saved what saith Saint Paul to the Hebrewes It is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift were made partakers of the Holie Ghost if they fall away to be renued to repentance what can be more plaine against me Is not that Scripture also if wee sinne wilfully after wee have received the Knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a certaine looking for of judgement the Scripture speakes of mee Saint Paul means me S. Peter tels me it had been better I had not knowne the way of Righteousnesse then after I have knowne to turne from the holy commandement if it had beene better I had not known and yet then my condemnation had beene most certaine doe you not see evidently that I have wilfully denied the known truth may justly expect not onely damnation but worse if worse may be imagined God will have mee undergoe the just punishment of my sinne and make mee an example of his wrath for your sakes The company present admired his discourse so grievously accusing himselfe of his fore-past life so gravely and wisely dilating concerning the judgements of God that they then were convinced that it was not frenzie or madnesse that had possessed him and being as it were in admiration of his estate Spira proceeded againe in this manner Take heed to your selves it is no light or easie matter to bee a Christian it is not baptisme or reading of the Scriptures or boasting of faith in Christ though even these are good that can proove one to be an absolute Christian you know what I said before there must be a conformity in life a Christian must bee strong unconquerable not carrying an obscure profession but resolute expressing the image of Christ and holding out against all opposition to the last breath hee must give all diligence by righteousnesse and holinesse to make his calling and election sure many there are that snatch at the promises in the Gospel as if they undoubtedly did belong to them and yet they remaine sluggish and carelesse and beeing flattered by the things of this present world they passe in their course in quietnesse and securitie as if they were the onely happie men whom neverthelesse the Lord in his providence hath ordained to eternall wrath as you may see in S. Lukes rich man thus it was with mee therefore take heed Then came one of his Nephews and offered him some sustenance which he disdainfully refusing so moved the youngmans choler that hee charged him with hypocrisie and dissimulation or frenzie to whom Spira gravely answering said You may interpret the matter as you will but I am sure I am not only the Actor but the argument and matter of the Tragedy I would it were frenzie either fained or true for if it were fained I could put it off at pleasure if it were a reall frenzy yet there were some hope left of Gods mercie whereas now there is none for I know that God hath pronounced mee an enemie and guiltie of high Treason against his Majestie I am a cast-away a vassaile of wrath yet dare you call it dissembling and frenzie and can mocke at the formidable example of the heavie wrath of God that should teach you feare and terrour but it is naturall to the flesh either out of malice or ignorance to speake perversly of the workes of God the naturall man discerneth not of the things that are of God because they are spiritually discerned How can this be said Gribauldus that you can thus excellently discourse of the judgements of God and of the graces of his holie Spirit that you finde the want of them and earnestly desire them and yet you thinke you are utterly deprived of them Take this for certaine said hee I want the maine grace of all and that which is absolutely necessarie and God doth many times extort most true and strange testimonies of his Majesties justice and mercie yea out of the mouthes of verie reprobates for even Iudas after hee had betrayed his Master was constrained to confesse his sinne and to justifie the innocencie of Christ and therefore if I doe the like it is no new or strange matter God hath taken faith from mee and left mee other common gifts for my deeper condemnation by how much the more I remember what I had and heare others discourse of what they have by so much the more is my torment in that I know what I want and how there is no way to bee relieved Thus spake hee the teares all the while trickling downe professing that his pangs were such as that the damned wights in hell endure not the like miserie that his estate was worse then that of Cain or Iudas and therefore hee desired to die yet behold saith hee the Scriptures are accomplished in mee they shall desire to die and death shall flie from them and verily hee seemed exceedingly to feare lest his life should bee drawne out to a longer thread and finding no ease or rest ever and anone cried out O miserable wretch O miserable wretch then turning to the Company hee besought them in this manner O Brethren take a diligent heed to your life make more account of the gifts of Gods spirit then I have done learne to beware my misery thinke not you are assured Christians because you understand something of the Gospel take heed you grow not secure on that ground be constant and immoveable in the maintaining of your profession confesse even untill death if