Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	life_n	way_n	world_n	4,036	5	4.7603	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54907	The captive (that hath long been in captivity) visited with the day-spring from on high. Or the prisoner (that hath fitten in the prison-house of woful darkness) freed into the everlasting light and covenant of God, in which perfect peace and satisfaction is Written by way of conference, and sent out into the world for the sake of those who have long groped upon the tops of the dark mountains, where the barrennesse and emptinesse is, without the knowledge of the true light to be their guide, that they (as in a glass) may see themselves, and read what hath been the cause why they have so long sought, and not found that they have sought for. Given forth especially for the sake of the scattered people in America, by one who labors for and waits to see the elect gathered from the four quarters of the earth, known by the name of Richard Pinder.	Pinder, Richard, d. 1695.	1660 (1660)	Wing P2262; ESTC R219448	16,995	45

any who have believed in it and obeyed it would declare unto me in truth what the operation of it hath been and what it hath wrought for ye and what it hath led you into and what it hath led ye from I should lend a diligent eare for indeed I have vsed all the waies and means which the aforesaid Teachers whom I looked upon to be Christs Ministers told me was the worship of God and his Ordinances which they told me I must wait for the appearance of the King of Peace in whose Salvation my Soul hath longed after but tossed from Mountain to Hill I have been and must needs confess by wofull experience that as yet the resting place I have not found neither am I any more satisfied within my self which is the way to it then I was at first I did adhere to those Teachers that told me the way to it was by hearing them give their meanings upon the Scriptures which they told me was preaching of the word and that by hearing them faith should be wrought which thing I have been very diligent in but alas no victory over my sin I find that gladly would I be further informed concerning this Light within of which I have heard such a Rumor and which by so many both Teachers and people is spoken against as a thing not sufficient to Salvation Inform. Well thy querie or rather complaint is something long but perceiving thou hast made it from the honesty of thy heart and from a true sence of thy present state and condition and doth in plainness desire to be informed therefore the Lord hath the more opened my heart to declare unto thee those things which hath been hidden from thine eyes that I shall endeavour by the assistance of the light which comprehends all darkness to inform thee therein I perceive this is thy meaning in the beginning of thy last querie that thou art no nearer for seeing thy sin and darkness seeing that still thou art overcome by it and that it prevails against thee It s true so long as thou doth not believe in the light marke that which shews thee thy sin and darkness but hates it so long thou art made no nearer to God by it for it remains in thee judging reproving and condemning thee in whatsoever thou takes in hand in that the cursed nature is head in thee in which is an unreconcible enmity against God who hath enlightned thee with his holy gift that through it thou mightest be redeemed out of the enmity and made alive unto him who hath enlightned thee and for this end the Lord by his light which he hath placed in thee shews thee the darkness the enmity which is in thy own mind by which thou hast been led aside and captivated willing thee to turn from it by reproving thee for every work word and thought that is brought forth by the power of it which is the power of darkness that so long as thou takes not heed unto that which shews thee darkness thou takes part and yields thy strength to the man of sin who by his power doth suppress those smal desires which thou saith thou sometimes hath to be freed from the darkness and so that which should enable thee and give thee power to the bringing forth those desires hath been trampled upon namely the light which reproved thee for thy sin and not regarded according to thy own confession that thou was not like to receive power to over-come thy sin for it was they that received Christ the true light that received power to become the Sons of God even those that did believe in his Name so in that thou hast not believed in his light which he hath enlightened thee withall thy sin hath remained and hath prevailed against thee which hath brought forth death under the shaddow of which thou yet sitteth as thou confesseth and thou saith thou art not as yet satisfied that that is the light which God hath prepared for thy deliverance which shines in thy own conscience and sheweth thee thy sin and darkness O yes that 's the true and eternal light which shines in thy own conscience and comes from Christ who is the Way and the Truth and the Life and thou having stumbled at this light which hath shewed thee thy sin and reproved thee for it thou hast stumbled at the way the truth and the life and so hath remained in the broad way in error and death that satisfaction thou wast not like to receive being in the darkness and unbeliefe where thou hast called good evil and evil good and hast put light for darkness and darkness for light and hath hearkened to such Teachers as thou speaks of that told thee the light that convinced thee of sin was naturall and Created and thou having lent thy ear unto such thou hast been deceived and led aside from the path of life and hast spent thy money for that which is not bread and thy labour for that which hath not satisfied but hast fed upon the husk and sought the living among the dead that thy Soul hath not delighted it self in fatness but thou hast thought to have life in those things which are empty and unfruitfull and hath followed the lying vanities of such as hath told thee the light which shewed thee thy sin and darkness is natural and the more thou listened unto such the further into darkness thou wast led and thou being in darkness was not like to comprehend the light by all thy wisdom for thy wisdom is reprobated from God and in that it stands in that nature that is contrary to the light which is incomprehensible though it shine in darkness yet the darkness cannot comprehend it which maketh all them in whom the power of darkness beareth rule so reproch it and oppose it withal their might and strength for by the light the bounds of it is set that it cannot pass but it is seen and comprehended So the light is that which is given to thee and all to lead out of darkness therefore let thy eare be open to Instruction and according to thy promise listen with diligence and apply thy heart to know that wisdome which the fear of the Lord is the beginning of for I shall open my mouth and my tongue shal utter things wch hath been hid from the wise prudent which God is now revealing unto Babes that are begotten by him and born of the word of life by which he hath opened my heart to declare unto thee and to all that are weary of the invented waies which man hath sought out in the time of darkness which thou saith thou hast a desire to come out of and to be freed into the light of life but thou hast not known him that hath prevailed to open the Seale wherewith the Fountain of light life power and glory is Sealed and hath not been known open in this night of thick darkness which thou saith in thy first querie

unto me thou hast long sitten in so encline and bow thine eare for the word of the Lord is towards thee that out of this night of wofull darkness thou might be brought in which thou hast long travelled and groped without the knowledge of the true and everlasting light to be thy guide of which now I shall open my mouth to declare of its appearance and operation which hath been effectuall in me and many others who through it hath obtained mercy of the Lord and am counted worthy to bear testimony of the same among the Nations which hath been overspread with Clouds of darkness and the Lords witnesses we are that he is now risen undoubtedly to destroy the covering of darkness which hath been cast over the face of all Nations and this is the message that we have received of him and which we are sent to declare that he is light and that in him is no darkness at all and this Testimony we give of him unto all people to the end they may be brought unto his light which he hath enlightened them withall that in his Name they may believe and receive life everlasting that their sins may be remitted and blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Captive But before thou begin to open thy mouth to declare of the appearance and operation of this light I would gladly know if thou mean the light which is so much spoken of that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World that I may know whether I have a measure of it or no. Inform The light of the appearance and operation of which I am ready to open my mouth is the light which Christ who is the Covenant given of the Father hath enlightened every one withal the appearance of which in every one is pure living and eternal and is a swift witness in all against all unrighteousness of what kind or sort soever and the least measure of it is purity it self life it self righteousness it self for it comes from him who is the Fountain of all good who was before all things and is eternal everlasting and endures for ever who is the beginning and the end of all things yet not known by any but as they through his light which he hath enlightened them withal comes to have their hearts and mindes redeemed out of all fading and perishing things which the hearts and minds of the Children of men are enclined unto in the fall and transgression in which the Lord of life and glory is not known but he obeyed and sits as Lord and King that hath subverted the hearts of all man-kind from their Maker and keeps them in subjection unto himself bringing forth fruits of unrighteousness by which the Lord is provoked unto wrath and displeasure he that Created man for his own glory but behold man is become alive and a Servant unto him that did not abide in the truth and is become an alien and a stranger unto him who is the God of all truth from whence every good and perfect gift proceeds who sent forth of his own life into the World a perfect gift to enlighten it the word of life by which all things was made and the life which had been slain from the Foundation of the world did he manifest again in the world to reconcile those again unto himself that did believe that they might receive his knowledg again which through transgression they had lost that man became without sense or feeling of the love life glory and power which God at first placed him in that he became bruitish in his knowledge and drinketh in iniquity as the Oxe the water that all flesh hath corrupted its way that none doth good no not one Hear is the estate of all mankind in the fall seperated from God by that enmity which is unreconcilable namely the carnal mind which is not subject to Gods Law neither indeed can be So the appearance of God again unto man and in man is by his own gift with which he hath enlightened him in reproving of him for his transgression and in shewing him how he is a servant of sin and how that death and the curse hath passed over him and how they have swallowed him up and how Hell and the powers of darkness hath prevailed against him and that which gives man to see this is the gift of God with which he is enlightened and they that comes to be redeemed again unto God will first see how these things hath ruled over them and also they will see there is no other way whereby any can be redeemed from under the power of death and Hell but by believing in the gift which comes from God nor that they can attain unto life strength and Salvation any other way but by receiving and walking in the gift with which they are enlightened the appearance of which is pure as I said unto thee who did enquire what the light led into and what it led from now thou that hath stopped thy ears at its cry thou mayest see darkness hath prevailed and death hath taken hold that under the power of them thou yet fitteth and this is the state and condition of all that stops the eare at the cry of the light in the conscience which cryes for purity and righteousness that I may answer thee in short purity and righteousness is that which the light unto which I inform thee leads into and impurity and unrighteousness is that it leads from for impureness is contrary to its nature and that is it which the light condemns for as thou may well remember how often it hath reproved thee and broken thy peace when thou followed thy own hearts lusts in committing those things which thy heart lusted after and also thou mayest remember that at some times when thou gave heed to it and by it was restrained from the evil that it raised up some good desires in thy heart to walk in the way of God and to come out of the vanitie which thy mind was captivated by wch desires I hope thou art not yet wholly without though thou hast followed such guides and teachers long that hath laboured to perswade thee that the light of which I now speak is naturall to wit the light which shews thee thy sin and darkness which if thou would hearken to would let thee see that thy following such guides and teachers hath been a great cause of thy so long travel in this great darkness which thou art sensible thou art yet in and out of it none but the Lord alone can deliver thee therefore his light he hath placed in thee freely to shew thee the darkness in which thy mind is ensnared and thy soul captivated and his light is freely given unto thee to lead thee out of it and doth not come by hearing man interpret and give his meanings upon the Scripture but is freely given of God which make those which says light and

lead me out of my sin and vain conversation but being perswaded by the aforesaid Teachers that I must not expect such a thing as to be freed from sin in this life this pleased my carnal mind and strengthned me to go on in Rebellion against the light which did condemn me for it that I would have reasoned had not Paul a body of Sin and what must I expect to be freed from sin more then he But indeed in all that time I thus reasoned I never had true peace neither indeed was like to have for now I see that it was the enemy of my Souls rest and peace that thus reasoned and pleaded for sin which is the Devils Kingdome and that they are his Ministers that perswades people that they must not expect to be freed from sin so long as they live which new I see is a Sold-destroying Doctrine and is not received by any but they that be in the unbelief for asI told thee since my understanding was somewhat opened by the true light I see all things possible with God and that faith as a grain of Mustard-feed is able to remove Mountains that though I see the body of sin yet standing I dare not but believe he who by his appearance hath given me to see it is able to destroy it and as thou knows well this is my condition at present that gladly I would be further informed for I find Paul speaks of such a condition and speaks of an overcoming also that I would know whether he witn ssed an overcoming any other way but through the light which gave him to see that sin was grown up to have a body Inform. Being thou art sensible that this seasoning with flesh and blood and following such Teachers as did please the Carnal mind in pleading for sin hath been it that hath caused thee to err from the way of thy Souls rest and peace which was wholly hidden from thine eyes while thou regarded not but stopped thy ear at the cry of the Light which Christ hath enlightened thee withall and while thou framed a faith according to thy own Imaginations which gave thee no victory over Sin but that with thy mind thou served it in fulfilling thy own hearts lusts which led thee a side and warred against thy Soul which now thou art to wait to be delivered from to know Christ thy Souls Saviour to be revealed in his own light the hope of thy glory to destroy and take away thy sin which long hath seperated alienated thy mind from the life of God that thou hast been a stranger unto his Covenant of Promise by reason of the hardness and impudency that thy heart was hardened in by consulting with thy imaginations and by lending an ear to such as perswaded thee that the appearance of the grace of God which did appear to lead thee out of thy sin and vaine conversation was but a restraining grace and not able to save thy Soul Oh blindness and ignorance that ever thou or any should lend an ear to such Is not the grace which is able to restrain from sin saving For what would thou or any be saved from if not from sin For hath not sin been it that hath kept your Souls in death and is not sin the cause of your condemnation And is not the grace saving which the Apostle saith hath appeared unto all men which taught them that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts they should live godly and soberly in this present world that so as long as thou rejected the appearance of this grace thou was not like to know Redemption from thy Sin and vain conversation For thou confest thy carnal mind which is at enmity with God was at liberty and strengthened which the grace appeared to mortifie but it having been pleased thou wert not like to please God nor to obtain mercy with him to overcome thy sin but was short of the life the Saints was in that spoke forth the Scripture and so could not measure their conditions nor see into the mystery the Scripture speaks of thou being in the unbelief and reprobated in thy mind in that with it thou served sin in fulfilling the lusts of it that so thou may see there hath been a great difference betwen the condition that Paul speaks of about which thou reasoned and thine For he in that time when he saw the Law of sin which was in his members warring against the Law of his mind and the wretched state he with his mind served the Lord but thou sin as thou coufesseth in that time when thou egarded not but dis-esteemed and rejected the light which appeared shewing thee thy sin but now the Day-spring from on High having visited thee thou plainly sees that faith as a grain of mustard seed is able to remove Mountains that I may answer thee in short the overcomming Paul speaks on and witnessed was obtained through the Law of the Spirit of Life which first discovered the body of sin unto him and the wretched estate which made him cry out who should deliver him how the Law of the spirit of life which was in Christ that delivered him and set him free from the Law of sin and Death which for a time was in his Members Captive What thou hast spoken I clearly see is Truth for I finde the light in my own Conscience bearing witnesse to it which Light also I now see is to be my guide and for the want of the knowledge of it I long have gone astray and erred in judgement in the things pertaining to my souls peace and especially about the appearance of the Light which long I desired to see and though it was near me even in my own Conscience yet being drawn aside by an evil heart of unbeliefe and by such teachers as was in the same unbeliefe I have stumbled at the true light which appeared so near me which the Lord through his visitation hath caused to shine forth of darkness that all the dark wayes in which I have long walked and gone astray in I now clearly see and comprehend that I hope for the time to come the Lord will giude my feet in the way of peace in that he hath shewed and made manifest unto me a measure of his own light to prepare me a way through the wilderness that though I walk through the valley of the shaddow of death yet I will not fear seeing the Lords love hath so largely extended to me that after the time of this long darkness he hath caused Light to shine forth and his day to spring from on High which hath lighted upon me that hath long sitten in darkness and long gone astray as a sheep having no shepherd and that hath been as in a pit where there hath been no water and hath lain long as in a Prison-house of wofull darkness under the chains of which I have long been kept even nigh without hopes of deliverance yet now I see the Lord